Never Again, Dear Brother
by Ghostwriter
Summary: Damon learns why Stefan hates Katherine so much.


NEVER AGAIN, DEAR BROTHER

AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER

One-shot coda to "Plan B" that takes place after the ep. Vampire Diaries belongs to LJ Smith and the CW. I only own what you're reading here and adds in my own thoughts of Stefan and Katherine's relationship. Plus, after that ep Damon was pretty much on board with the "We Hate Katherine" Club, and this is my idea of what could've cemented it (besides her attack on Jenna).

Stefan wiped his eyes as he entered the boarding house. She had won. She had won. Katherine had actually managed to get rid of Elena. _I don't believe this. Why can't I ever be free of her?_ he wondered.

"You're back," he heard his brother state.

"Go away, Damon. I'm not in the mood," came his response.

"Look about Katherine-" Damon began to say.

"Could we **not** go there, Damon?" Stefan interrupted harshly. He was in no mood to hear his brother extol Katherine's non-existent virtues.

"Yeah, sure," Damon answered. He stared at Stefan's tear-streaked face and had to fight to remain in control. How could Katherine be so heartless? What had happened to the girl he had loved back in 1864? "But for what it's worth, I **am** sorry," he added. Stefan let out a shaky breath.

"It's my own fault. I should've known. You can't go against Katherine. She **always** wins," he said bitterly, causing Damon to stare at him in confusion. _What's up with him? And why does he hate her so much? Surely it can't be just that she compelled him_, he thought. To be truthful, he had never seen his younger brother so hateful. However, Katherine just always seemed to bring out that side of him. Stefan shook his head. "Man, I was so stupid. So stupid. Try to trick Katherine? Go up against **her**?" he asked.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally learned his lesson," a voice drawled. Instantly, Stefan lunged at Katherine and pinned her to the wall, holding her throat. He growled. Before Damon could even move, Katherine backhanded Stefan and then switched their position, so that it was Stefan being choked. Damon began to fly at her, but she just kicked him away.

"Always so dramatic," she sighed. With her other hand, she caressed Stefan's cheek. "Now then Stefan, what do you say we play? For old times' sake?"

"No," Stefan spat out. Katherine tightened her grip.

"Wrong answer," she scolded. Damon once again tried to attack, but was blocked. "Now Stefan, you know very well how this is going to end, so just be a good little boy and tell me 'Yes'," she continued. Stefan's eyes flashed and he pushed her back.

"You may have managed to break me and Elena up, but I will **never** play your games again, Katherine! In case you forgot, I remembered everything after I got turned!" he snarled. "The lying, the using…how I'd come out of the compulsion and tell you 'No' because you were with Damon, and then be re-compelled so that I couldn't fight!" he shouted. Damon stared in surprise. What was Stefan saying?

"Stefan," Katherine warned.

"And that wasn't even the worst of what you did to me!" Stefan reminded her.

"What? What are you talking about?" Damon asked.

"Stefan, trust me. You don't want to go there," Katherine warned quietly.

"Oh, don't I?" Stefan shot back.

"No, you don't," Katherine responded, advancing on him. _He better not say a word if he knows what's good for him_, she thought to herself.

"Would someone please tell me what's going on?" Damon requested.

"Just your little brother being dramatic again," Katherine answered.

"Dramatic?" Stefan repeated. "Me? I'm not the one who-" Before he could finish his sentence, Katherine lunged at him and put her nails in his throat.

"I told you not to go there, Stefan," she scolded. Instantly, Damon was right behind her. He grabbed her and threw her out of the boarding house.

"Don't come back here or I'll stake you," he threatened. Katherine hissed.

"This isn't over." She took off. Stefan gasped and ran his fingers through his hair. _Oh, man. What did I just do? I can't-Damon would never believe me_, he thought as he let out a choked sob and sank to the ground.

"Stefan? You all right?" Damon asked, kneeling beside him.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I shouldn't have provoked her," Stefan replied.

"What was that all about?" Damon wondered.

"I-I can't Damon. You saw how she acted. If she finds out…" Stefan's voice trailed off.

"Okay, I haven't played this card for 145 years, but I'm playing it now," Damon declared. "As your older brother I'm telling you to come clean," he continued. Stefan scoffed and let out a slight laugh.

"That's supposed to work?" he asked.

"Fine, don't tell me why you seem to hate Katherine so much. See if I care," the older boy shrugged, stood up, and started to walk away.

"She'd raped me." Damon froze.

"What?" he asked, turning around. _I…can't be hearing right_, he thought.

"I don't know why, but sometimes I'd-I'd come out of the compulsion when we were intimate…and…she was your girl, I wasn't supposed to, and-" Damon knelt down beside him.

"Go on," he prompted.

"I was starting to remember things…things she wanted me to forget. But…towards the end, for some reason, I was coming out of it. She-she had compelled me the night we were turned."

"Then why did you say you would help rescue her?"

"Because I didn't want you to know! And she would've killed me herself if I had told."

"Well, I promise you…she's not getting near you again. Not ever." To seal his promise, Damon clasped Stefan's hand and squeezed it tightly.

THE END


End file.
